Full coverage: The South China Sea Issue

During a meeting with former Chinese deputy foreign minister Fu Ying in Hong Kong, the Philippines special envoy to China, Fidel Ramos, said Manila wants formal discussions with Beijing to explore pathways to peace and cooperation.

The informal meeting was aimed at repairing their relations which turned soured after the Philippines unilaterally brought the South China Sea dispute to an arbitral tribunal in The Hague last month.

Ramos said the meeting focused on the need to build trust and confidence, to reduce tension and to pave the way for more cooperation. He added that the South China Sea arbitration was not discussed during his trip.